Comments on: Field trips http://www.edwize.org/field-trips Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:46:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Jackie Bennett http://www.edwize.org/field-trips/comment-page-1#comment-39578 Jackie Bennett Sun, 25 Mar 2007 22:42:27 +0000 http://edwize.org/field-trips#comment-39578 I agree -- it is a lot of work to put trips together, no doubt about it. Scary too. I can’t help thinking of the 28-year teacher in Texas, Sydney McGee, who has been taken out of the classroom, maybe fired, for taking kids to the Dallas art museum , During the trip, students passed through a room with a nude sculpture in it. What a hullabaloo ensued when the parents found out. McGee may have some kind of union protections but Texas is a right-to-work state; there’s not a lot of union in Texas. But! I don’t mean put the damper on trips. It’s great, broadening the world of students like that – it’s what we went into teaching to do. Besides, this is NY, not Texas, and in NY, we have not only great museums, but unions, too. So, take them to the museum, and then on to Canterbury. Read them the "Wife of Bath’s" tale on the way! I agree — it is a lot of work to put trips together, no doubt about it. Scary too. I can’t help thinking of the 28-year teacher in Texas, Sydney McGee, who has been taken out of the classroom, maybe fired, for taking kids to the Dallas art museum , During the trip, students passed through a room with a nude sculpture in it. What a hullabaloo ensued when the parents found out. McGee may have some kind of union protections but Texas is a right-to-work state; there’s not a lot of union in Texas.

But! I don’t mean put the damper on trips. It’s great, broadening the world of students like that – it’s what we went into teaching to do. Besides, this is NY, not Texas, and in NY, we have not only great museums, but unions, too. So, take them to the museum, and then on to Canterbury. Read them the “Wife of Bath’s” tale on the way!

]]> By: phyllis c. murray http://www.edwize.org/field-trips/comment-page-1#comment-39482 phyllis c. murray Sun, 25 Mar 2007 12:10:13 +0000 http://edwize.org/field-trips#comment-39482 To Be a Good Teacher One Must First Be a Good Human Being" By Phyllis C. Murray When the media points the spotlight on teachers, far too often, it is not for a favorable showcasing of events. However, I wish cameramen would stay long enough to see the positive work that goes on unnoticed in the public schools all year round. I speak of the labors of love teachers perform daily. While most workers run away from their places of business after a day's work, our staff members, often new teachers, remain. Our teachers return to the community to take their students on field trips. Whether it is an afternoon at the local library, a trip to Madison Square Garden or the New York Yankee Stadium, or even local basketball games (evenings and/or weekends) our teachers are there. And while this is happening, I know many teachers in districts other than "8" are also on the move. Yes, they are truly "Teachers on the Move." day and night. Our teachers are not getting over-time corporate pay or even stipends to cover the cost of their travel related expenses. In fact, quite often ,they are financially subsidizing the students with out of pocket $$$ for metro cards,refreshments, tickets et. al. And because of their resourcefulness, our teachers have been able to reach out and enlist the support of other institutions and professionals in their quest to get courtesy tickets to the mythical events in the Big Apple. Our teachers know that learning can take place beyond the perimeter of the classroom. Therefore, they are willing to go that extra mile to ensure very positive outcomes. They pull out all stops when it comes to getting a job done as they write proposals for grants and awards. Thus, as true professionals, they constantly invest in their students. It is time to put a positive spin in the news. We can salute New York City's treasures: the students and their teachers, NOW! I believe Benjamin Disraeli was right when he said: "To be a good teacher one must first be a good human being." And Cicero would surely concur: " What nobler employment, or more valuable to the state, than that of instructing the younger generation?" Phyllis C. Murray,Teacher UFT Chapter Leader 75X To Be a Good Teacher One Must First Be a Good Human Being”

By Phyllis C. Murray

When the media points the spotlight on teachers, far too often, it is not for a favorable showcasing of events. However, I wish cameramen would stay long enough to see the positive work that goes on unnoticed in the public schools all year round. I speak of the labors of love teachers perform daily.

While most workers run away from their places of business after a day’s work, our staff members, often new teachers, remain. Our teachers return to the community to take their students on field trips. Whether it is an afternoon at the local library, a trip to Madison Square Garden or the New York Yankee Stadium, or even local basketball games (evenings and/or weekends) our teachers are there. And while this is happening, I know many teachers in districts other than “8″ are also on the move. Yes, they are truly “Teachers on the Move.” day and night.

Our teachers are not getting over-time corporate pay or even stipends to cover the cost of their travel related expenses. In fact, quite often ,they are financially subsidizing the students with out of pocket $$$ for metro cards,refreshments, tickets et. al. And because of their resourcefulness, our teachers have been able to reach out and enlist the support of other institutions and professionals in their quest to get courtesy tickets to the mythical events in the Big Apple.

Our teachers know that learning can take place beyond the perimeter of the classroom. Therefore, they are willing to go that extra mile to ensure very positive outcomes. They pull out all stops when it comes to getting a job done as they write proposals for grants and awards. Thus, as true professionals, they constantly invest in their students.
It is time to put a positive spin in the news. We can salute New York City’s treasures: the students and their
teachers, NOW!

I believe Benjamin Disraeli was right when he said: “To be a good teacher one must first be a good human being.” And Cicero would surely concur: ” What nobler employment, or more valuable to the state, than that of instructing the younger generation?”

Phyllis C. Murray,Teacher
UFT Chapter Leader 75X

]]>